Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to

Brazilian Double Victory At Star Sailors League Finals Nassau, Bahamas: For a second time a Brazilian crew claimed victory in the Star Sailors League Finals, but on this occasion it was not the bookies' choice. Olympic legend Robert Scheidt and Henry Boening were favourites going into this event and completely dominated the last four days of Qualifier rounds off Nassau, but today it was Jorge Zarif and Pedro Trouche who won every stage. Aged 26 and 27 respectively, Zarif, the reigning Star World Champion and 2013 Finn Gold Cup winner, and Trouche, are the first crew younger than 40 to win the annual event,

Racing today took place under an overcast sky with the course moved back inside Nassau's Montague Bay. The brisk easterly was blowing directly into the Bay with gusts at times reaching 20 knots.

For winning the Star Sailors League Finals, Zarif and Trouche not only gained the credo of beating many of the world's top sailors, but also won US$ 40,000 of the total US$ 200,000 prize pot. -- Rachele Vitello

After completing the race, Catherine and crew members Pietro Luciana and Gery Atkins received a warm welcome from RORC Race Officer Steve Cole, and Marina Manager Charlotte Bonin greeted the team with ice cold beers. Nikoyan Roberts presented Earendil with a basket of Grenadian goods, including rum and chocolates, courtesy of the Grenada Tourism Authority. There was also a surprise welcome on the dock from friends Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron - who was fresh from her Route du Rhum adventures with Class40 Campagne de France. In the 2016 race, Campagne de France had won class ahead of Earendil, but this year it was Catherine Pourre's turn to celebrate finishing the race in pole position for the Class40 Division in a time that was over three days quicker than 2016.

Henrik Bergesen's Norwegian Class40 Hydra, skippered by Tristan Kinloch was approximately 380 miles from the finish as Earendil crossed the finish line and Stephane Bry's Sirius had over 500n miles to go.

Monegasques dominate in J/70 against international field at Winter Series With sea and air temperatures of 18°C it was like spring for the 76 contestants in Act II of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series for two classes (J/70 and Melges 20). Four races were completed on a flat sea with 12 knots of wind for the J/70s, three for the Melges 20 on the first day, with sailing cancelled on the last due to Force 8/9 winds forecast in the Mediterranean.

The Melges 20s remained tightly grouped from start to finish in all races. Alexander Mikhayliv's Alex Team clinched victory (2/1/1) ahead of Leonid Altukhov's Lucky (1/4/2), with the Monegasque Synergy of Valentin Zavadnikov in 3rd and Anatoly Karachinsky (Path) 4th.

In the J/70s, it was an international field of Finns, Danes, Russians, Brazilians, English, Germans and Italians but an all-Monegasque podium after an intense battle between Nico Poons (Charisma), Roberto Stefani (Piccinina) and Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda), winner of Act 1 in November.

Despite winning two races with ease, Ludovico Fassitelli was 3rd behind Roberto Stefani, making his return to the class with a new team and tactics by France's no.1 Laser sailor Jean-Baptiste Bernaz. The winner was Nico Poons, fresh from his triumph on the 2018 RC44 circuit, whose bold tactics on the starts placed Charisma in the best position.

In the Corinthian class (J/70 only), it was Swiss sailor Bruno Zeltner (Quater2eleven), a regular of this Winter Series, who pipped Monegasque Cesare Gabasio (TinnJ70) to the post by one point to win, with Claudio Canaccini leading a team of youngsters from the Yacht Club Italiano in 3rd. They were on a J/70 loaned to them by the YCM as part of its policy to boost exchanges between its twinned clubs through its Youth Offshore Academy.

Igor Rytov's Russian Bogatyrs Wins Opening Weekend of 2018-2019 J/70 Winter Series Tampa, Florida: Forty-seven J/70 teams traveled to Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida for the first weekend of the 2018-2019 J/70 Winter Series. Conditions on Saturday were sunny and warm with winds at 6-8 knots, allowing three races. The passage of a cold front on Sunday brought rain and storms through Tampa Bay, keeping teams ashore. Igor Rytov's Russian Bogatyrs earned the overall victory with scores of 7,2,4 for 13 points. Greiner Hobbs' Dark Horse placed second with 16 points, and Doug Strebel's Black River Racing followed in third with 18 points. The 14-boat Corinthian division was topped by Bob Willis' Rip Rullah, who notched a bullet in race 2.

Each Friday of the Series, SAIL22 leads the Porch Series including a North Sails debrief. This weekend featured several races in which 33 boats were able to learn from on-water coaches, before heading in for a North Sails forum at the DIYC clubhouse.

Racing continues at Davis Island Yacht Club on January 4-6 and February 8-10.

Hunt Lawrence (USA) 'Hunt and Betsy Lawrence have already raised the level of sailing in the US, and they are just getting started!' - Dave Perry; 'American sailing's national treasure' - Lansing Hays; 'Hunt has provided me with so many opportunities I would never otherwise have had' - Blake Loncharich; 'Without him a whole marina full of historical classic yachts would no longer exist' - Richard Davies; 'Simply to say "thank you" from the wooden boat community' - Wendy Bliss; 'Hunt and Betsy Lawrence have accomplished something that the sailing world has never seen' - Don Costanzo; 'Congratulations on a life well lived!' - Lynda Lane.

This month's nominees:

Boris Herrmann (GER) Softly softly the non Francophile presence in the Imoca fleet is growing - timely too as we approach the first use of the class in the 'not Volvo' race. Finishing a good 5th in the Rhum as skipper of the well-organised Yacht Club de Monaco entry for the next Vendee, Herrmann, like his fellow German Vendee challenger Jörg Riechers, has impeccable credentials including being a regular member of Francis Joyon's elite little band of brothers

Paul Meilhat (FRA) Tenacious. Deserving. Reliable. Consistent. Like his friend and 2nd placed finisher in the Rhum, Yann Eliès, Meilhat, sailing a non-foiling Imoca, arrived in Guadeloupe knowing his sponsorship had ended and that his winning boat was on the market. Since retiring from the last Vendee Globe Meilhat has been banging in result after result on his ageing boat, capped by his impressive Route du Rhum success. Someone should open their wallet for this guy.

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Musto, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Susie Goodall rescued Goodall (29) from Falmouth UK was the sole women and youngest skipper competing in the Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world race, which started from La Sables d'Olonne, France on July 1st. One of 17 starters, she was lying in 4th place and challenging for a podium finish when her 36ft yacht was pitch poled and dismasted during a ferocious storm. Sheltering below at the time, she was thrown across the cabin and knocked unconscious. Only when she came to, did she fully realise the situation. Her boat, a rugged Rustler 36 production yacht heavily modified for the Race, was wrecked and inside flooded and totally trashed with the contents of lockers and draws strewn across the cabin. On deck, DHL Starlight's rig and two spinnaker poles that she had planned to utilise as a jury rig in the event of a dismasting, had been swept away.

The first the world knew of her situation was at 10:30 UTC Wednesday 5th December when HM Coastguard's MCC (Mission Control Centre) in Fareham UK picked up an EPIRB distress alert from the yacht, starting a tense 50 hour international rescue operation involving British and Chilean rescue authorities and an all-ships alert.

Goodall's nearest competitor, Estonian sailor Uku Randmaa sailing an identical yacht to DHL Starlight was 400 miles ahead and about to face the same storm, so could not turn back. American/Hungarian sailor Istvan Kopar was 780 miles behind and not expected to reach Susie's position for another 6 days.

The first ship to answer the Chilean Coastguard alert was the bulk carrier MV Talimen 480 miles south west of Goodall's position, which diverted course, but later the 38,000 ton Hong Kong registered cargo ship MV Tian Fu, 80 miles closer, was tasked with the making the rescue.

She worked to get the flooded engine to start and prepared herself to be taken off the yacht. The plan was for her to motor DHL Starlight up against the lee side of the ship grab the hook from a deck crane and get lifted up by her life harness. But the first attempt failed when her engine stopped just as she was about to manoeuvre her boat into position. Exact details of the evacuation remain sketchy, but news that the 50 hour intense vigil had come to a safe conclusion came with the a text message:

07 Dec 15:14 UTC: ON THE SHIP!!! followed by a photograph of her being hoisted aboard the ship on the end of the crane.

The MV 'Tian Fu is now continuing its voyage but making a transit stop off Punta Arenas, Chile on December 14 where Susie will be transferred ashore to be met on the dockside by The British Consul John Rees.

Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar Supported by Latitude Kinsale and Seahorse magazine For the Best Bar.... the best 3D Map The winner of this year's tenth annual Wight Vodka Best Sailor's Bar wins more than the usual bottle and award certificate (and global accolades). This year our co-sponsor Latitude Kinsale's Bobby Nash will personally build a 3D map by request of the winner.

Latitude Kinsale specialises in applying the art of decoupage to marine charts for any location in the world. The process involves precision hand-cutting of nautical marine charts on the depth contour lines, assembling onto mount board where they are re-cut and then assembled to create a wonderful 3 dimensional piece of art that is timeless.

The winning bar will be decided by three factors:

1. Best story and description of the bar 2. Best drink recipe from the Bar 3. Voting (which begins on Tuesday)

European Match Race Tour 2019 The European Match Race Tour will feature another 7 qualifying events and a Grand Final for its third edition. While many of the tour stops were already hosts in previous editions, the 2019 tour will visit Italy's Lago di Ledro and Romania's black sea town Limanu for the first time. Hosts of the 2019 Grand Final will be Croatia's beautiful sailing city of Sibenik in October.

The tour 2019 consists of the proven and well known format as in the previous two editions. Europe's best skippers will be able to earn points at seven qualifying events to qualify themselves for the Grand Final with double points. In addition, there will be a separate U23 ranking and U 23 European Tour champion as well as a womens only ranking list. These two ranking lists and titles shall highlight the diversity of match racing in Europe and be a stepping stone for young and up-and-coming teams into the match racing circuit.

The opening event will be traditionally at Sibenik on the Dalmatian coast, where skippers have the chance to try out the conditions for the season finale. The next stage will take place a bit further south the Adriatic coast line at Tivat's Porto Montenegro followed by the stop-over on Austria's Lake Neusiedl before heading south again to Romania for the first visit of the pitorsk fishermen town of Limanu. Two events on the Baltic will follow – Gothenburg in Sweden and Swinoujscie in Poland – before the last event of round one in Italy's match race Eldorado at Ledro. The tour will finish with the Grand Final 2019 at Sibenik in Mid-October. -- Helmut Czasny-Bonomo

European Sailing Federation and International 420 Class join forces for a new regatta circuit EUROSAF, the continental association for the sport of sailing in Europe, and the International 420 Class Association, one of the biggest dinghy classes, have set up the EUROSAF 420 Circuit, a circuit of regattas within Europe, to foster and promote double-handed dinghy sailing in Europe.

The 2018/2019 circuit will comprise six events throughout Europe starting with the Imperia Winter Regatta in Italy and ending at Kiel Week 2019.

The best boys' and girls' teams under 19 and the best team under 17will be eligible for an extra starting place at the 420 Junior European Championships in Vilagarcia de Arousa in north-western Spain at the end of July 2019.

"This event is a great opportunity for young sailors from all over Europe to meet, exchange, and compete at an international level. By traveling further afield than their home waters they will discover new regattas and new fellow sailors and enhance their experience. By being consistent in their results they will have a European recognition within their reach. In addition, we expect the selected regattas to see an increase in participation, especially from other parts of Europe", says Josep M. Pla, president of EUROSAF.

The Notice of Series and further information are available under www.eurosaf.org

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